It’s that time of the year when the best teams are the one winning the NFL’s annual war of attrition. We hear it every year, all year; injuries are a part of the game.

Every championship contender has key injuries to their roster. The Patriots just lost Lagarrette Blount, Carolina has been without Calvin Benjamin all year, Green Bay has had to make due without Jordi Nelson since the preseason, the list goes on.

Since Halloween the Seahawks have had their own key players fall victim to injury, Marshawn Lynch, Jimmy Graham and it seems whatever is cursing Baltimore also got Thomas Rawls’ ankle. Rawls and Lynch’s injuries are the most concerning as the running game is now in question.

Once a the steady staple and identity of the Seahawk offense, Seattle has had to resort to picking up players off the street and turning to a player they cut before the season, Christine Michael.

If you follow the Seahawks, you know that Michael has talent. Coaches and the front office have been high on him since they selected him in the second round of the draft over two years ago, with Darrell Bevell even saying that he could be the number one back when Lynch staged his brief holdout before the 2014 season.

In two seasons though, Michael’s production never matched the praise. Michael appeared in 14 games in two seasons with the Seahawks, rushing 52 times for 254 yards serving mostly sitting third on the depth chart behind Lynch and Robert Turbin – who is now with the Cowboys.

Pete Carroll said in his press conference today he spoke with Michael before the team signed him, talking about his experiences this season with Dallas and Washington’s practice squad. Of course the Seahawks traded Michael to the Cowboys before the season, where he gained only 51 yards on 15 carries.

With the way Russell Wilson is slinging the rock around the yard lately, it may not even matter if Christine Michael, Bryce Brown or present day Ricky Watters is in the backfield. When the playoffs roll around however, it will. Carroll said today that, “there’s a really good chance” Marshawn plays again this year.

When/if Marshawn does come back, he needs to be back at full health and full speed. Beating the likes of Baltimore and hopefully Cleveland without a running game is one thing, but if the Seahawks were to travel to say, Carolina in the playoffs, that stout D there will figure out a way to not lose by 30 to say the least.

Therefore we better hope that Michael learned from his failures this year (how to hold the ball with his off hand would help), and miraculously delivers on the potential everyone seems to agree he has.

If not, then he’s the perfect example that everyone in the NFL has talent, what separates them is how they maximize it.

Photo: Flickr/Keith Allison